Troubleshooter: Electric switch and blog posts cause concerns

CORPUS CHRISTI - Some electric customers were switched to another provider as another warns of financial help scams; and one downtown restaurant owner feels targeted by a review blog.

"Urgent — Immediate Action Required" was the header on an email directed to Epcot Electric customers on July 10 by its former competitor YEP Energy. It informed that Epcot was being forced to relinquish its customers for not meeting regulatory financial obligations.

Some recipients contacted Troubleshooter after taking the email as a predatory marketing tactic. However, Epcot Electric customers are being switched to YEP Energy.

In an agreement finalized July 12, Texpo Power, which does business as YEP Energy, acquired the customers and some assets of Epcot Electric, according to several online reliable business websites.

All existing Epcot Electric customers' service, rates and contracts will continue without interruption, and customers will be notified of the change by direct mail.

Learn about shopping for Texas electric providers at the Public Utility Commission of Texas website www.powertochoose.org. It offers information about the retail electric market, tax credits, safety and reliability; and allows you to compare plans based on price, contract terms and other factors.

Beware of scam

Nueces Electric Cooperative issued a recent warning that some electric consumers have fallen prey to scammers requesting personal information, such as a bank routing number or Social Security numbers, under the guise of a "special federal program," to help with high electric bill payments.

Some customers have not sent payments after giving their personal information, resulting in disconnections and late fees on their bills, officials said.

Better Business Bureaus in several states have issued consumer warnings about this, and the simple fix is to never give your personal information to anyone who contacts you.

Blog entry misleads

Sonja Silvertooth has been in the restaurant business for decades and recently felt victimized by a posting on an online review site.

A recent customer at Sonja's Restaurant showed excitement that she was still in business, owner Silvertooth said. The woman told her that someone had blogged on Urbanspoon, the online restaurant review website, that she had closed.

"How could they do this to me?" Silvertooth asked. "This can affect my business."

She's not Internet savvy and had no way to confirm or change the posting, so her customer returned to the review website and removed the blog, she said.

Silvertooth's is one of 798 Corpus Christi restaurants listed on Urbanspoon, and 88 percent of the 26 people who left blogs or reviews for Sonja's Restaurant had positive postings.

Troubleshooter printed a list of the reviews, which made Sonja feel better, she said.